Advert for the Raglan Music Hall

This poster advertises a Ladies Night at the Raglan Music Hall. These were weekly occurrences at most variety theatres in London at the time: women would have free entrance to the hall as long as they were accompanied by a gentleman paying full price. This enforced 'chaperoning' of single women in music halls followed a scandal of 1874, when the Oxford Music Hall was denied a license renewal on the grounds that women had been admitted without men. The Temperance Movement - never particularly keen on music halls - expressed concern that these unaccompanied women were, in fact, prostitutes.

The proprietor of the Raglan, Mr John Hart, is thus at pains to stress the wholesomeness of his venue's entertainment: "as far as the Stage is concerned, nothing is permitted which would be hurtful to the young or objectionable to the most fastidious, and every Artiste that appears on [the] Stage is warned that they must not use any vulgar or obscene expression or action."